Should you ever take a low paid or even unpaid internship? It pays to weigh up the pros and cons...

It used to be that if you wanted to get a job in a competitive field like fashion, politics or the media you would take a relevant degree or vocational course and perhaps do a couple of weeks' work experience to show your commitment.

But with around 20 per cent of 16 to 25-year-olds currently unemployed, there is hot competition for the few job opportunities out there, and the greater-spotted intern has become a common sight in Britain's offices.

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There are an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 unpaid interns working in the UK, according to Government figures.

Where did the idea come from?

It's a concept that originated across the pond, where perhaps the most famous intern in history was a certain Miss Monica Lewinsky.

At first internships in the UK were confined to the UK outposts of US companies and to areas with a veneer of public service such as politics, but intern fever has rapidly spread across the nation - and has percolated down to traditionally less glamorous trades such as retail and office administration.

So how does it work?

There is a burgeoning internship industry out there now, with keen young jobseekers actually paying agencies to secure "desirable" internships for them both in the UK and abroad – although most interns are still recruited by companies directly.

In some cases the intern (usually a graduate) is paid a fairly reasonable wage – up to £15k per year is not unknown – but very low paid, unpaid and expenses-only internships appear to be more common.

The Government even runs its own Graduate Talent Pool website, which has been criticised because one-third of the roles advertised on it were unpaid.

So what's wrong with it?

To some people, nothing at all. Backers of internships, who include the Government, claim that they can improve social mobility and reward commitment by giving young people a much-needed "way in" to industries where they may have no connections.

But many unions and student campaigners are less convinced, claiming that internships actually limit social mobility because only the well off can afford to work unpaid – and because they feel many employers have been taking advantage.

Retail giant Topshop is claimed to have paid interns just £3.50 a day, with limited travel expenses, for month-long work experience secondments - and job agency Reed even advertised for an unpaid intern receptionist.

Tanya de Grunwald, who runs a website called Graduate Fog, said: "A practice that appears to be harmless – helpful, even – has turned out to be extremely damaging.

"We believe that unpaid internships exploit those who do them, and exclude those who can't afford to do them. Too many large companies are taking advantage of graduates' desperation to gain experience by hiring them as interns and not paying them properly for their work."

But how can I tell if I'm being taken advantage of?

At the risk of sounding glib, it should be pretty obvious. Are you doing the same work as other paid members of staff? Do staff have to take much time away from their own work to support you? Or do they just give you a stack of work and leave you? Are you actually learning anything?

You are free to work unpaid if you wish, but if you do so then it's important that you feel you're getting something valuable back in return.

Shabnam Naseem, 24, felt a media company was taking her for a ride on an internship.

She said: "I was there for two weeks until I walked out. The way in which we were treated was awful. I was updating stuff on their website, very basic stuff.

"We were told not to talk during working hours and there was no pay. We just had the manager lecturing us when we went for lunch saying we should sacrifice it for the benefit of the company."

What is the solution?

Well, some interns who have worked for nothing and subsequently felt that they were taken advantage of have resorted to legal action.

Keri Hudson, 21, won her case at a Central London employment tribunal in May, having claimed that she should have been paid for her full-time work on the MyVillage website. She was awarded more than £1k in back pay – plus more holiday pay on a pro-rata basis.

She was backed by the National Union of Journalists, which has been encouraging more young interns to take similar steps.

But the best advice we can offer you if you're thinking of taking up an internship is simply to keep your wits about you – if you're not getting money then make sure you're getting some good experience.

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